The invention relates to separators, including impactor separators, and coalescers, including crankcase ventilation filters.
Separators are known in the prior art, including dual stage separation provided by a separator in a separator chamber separating gas and liquid by inertial impaction, and a coalescer filter element in a coalescer chamber separating gas and liquid by coalescence. In internal combustion engine applications having blowby gas containing an air-oil mixture, a crankcase ventilation filter arrangement may have a separator chamber and a coalescer chamber, with a separator in the separator chamber separating air and oil by inertial impaction, and a coalescer filter element in the coalescer chamber separating air and oil by coalescence.
The present invention arose during continuing development efforts related to the above technology. In one aspect, the present system enables elimination of an extra drainage port otherwise needed in the above noted structure. In another aspect, manufacturing and space efficiencies are enabled. The invention also arose from various alternative approaches, including various types of separators, including first and second separation chambers.